Changes in activity of some mechanisms of specific and nonspecific immunity in vitamin B1 deficiency

The effect of thiamine deficiency on the immune response and activity of certain mechanisms of natural immunity was studied in adult rats. Thiamine deficiency was simulated experimentally by a single injection of hydroxythiamine, a vitamin B₁ antagonist. Administration of hydroxythiamine caused a marked decrease in complement activity, phagocytic activity of the peripheral blood leukocytes, bactericidal activity of the serum, and antibody production in response to immunization with sheep's red blood cells. Conversely, lysozyme activity increased. In vitamin B₁ deficiency the intensity of incorporation of [¹⁴C]leucine into liver protein synthesis was reduced.Department of Pathological Physiology, N. I. Sechenov First Moscow Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR G. V. Vygodchikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 7, pp. 60–62, July, 1979.     

Functional vulnerability of developing central nervous system to maternal thiamine deficiencies in the rat

Thiamine deficiency (B1 vitamin) was induced during three periods of rat central nervous system (CNS) ontogenesis. Females were fed a thiamine deficient diet such that developing offspring were exposed either to pre-, peri-, or postnatal thiamine deficiency. To control the effects of undernourishment generated by different thiamine deficiencies, every treatment group had its own pair-fed control pup from a non drug-treated but undernourished dam. Seven different developmental abilities (exploratory activity, emotional reaction, hind paws lifting reflex, wire grasping times, crawling and leap execution latencies, and nociception) were recorded in the offspring from the 10th to the 45th postnatal day. The vulnerability of developing brain to the specific lack of B1 vitamin increases from prenatal (28%) to perinatal (43%) and postnatal periods (57%).     

A Properly Balanced Reduction Diet and/or Supplementation Solve the Problem with the Deficiency of These Vitamins Soluble in Water in Patients with PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an increasingly common problem for women in the reproductive age throughout the entire world. A reduction diet with a low glycaemic index (GI) has proved to support the treatment of PCOS. The aim of the study was to analyse the influence of the diet on the level of vitamins soluble in water. The study included 55 women, 40 of which suffered from PCOS (identified by means of the Rotterdam Criteria) and 15 healthy women of the Caucasian race. The level of vitamins before and after the dietary intervention was measured. The diet was a reduction diet with a reduced glycaemic index (GI). Biochemical analyses were made on the basis of liquid chromatography—Infinity 1260 Binary liquid chromatography (LC) Agilent Technology. The level of vitamins in the serum was analysed together with the consumption before and after the dietary intervention. A higher level of vitamin C in the plasma was observed before and after the dietary intervention in the PCOS group in comparison to the control group despite the lower intake of this vitamin in the PCOS group. The remaining vitamins were at a comparable or lower level (B1, B3, B5, B6 and B12). After the dietary intervention, only B1 and B9 were at a clearly lower level (a trend of p = 0.093 and p = 0.085). A properly balanced reduction diet with reduced GI improves the supply of vitamins in women with PCOS. An additional recommendation should be the additional supplementation of B1, niacinamide and the combination of folates with inositol. The level of vitamin C in the plasma may not be a good marker of its supply in the PCOS group.     

维生素B_1和维生素C联合应用对铅染毒小鼠睾丸某些生化和形态指标的影响

目的探讨维生素B1、C联合应用对铅染毒小鼠睾丸某些生化和形态指标的影响。方法75只雄性小鼠随机分为空白对照组,0.2%染铅组和维生素高、中、低干预组,每组各15只。并分别在第2、4、6周处死每组各5只小鼠,取其睾丸组织,用免疫组化检测各组小鼠睾丸转化生长因子β1(TGFβ1)、半胱天冬酶3(Caspase-3)的表达;DNA片段原位末段标记技术(TUNEL法)检测睾丸细胞凋亡;单细胞凝胶电泳(彗星实验)检测细胞DNA的损伤。结果染铅组小鼠睾丸TGFβ1、Caspase-3表达增强,凋亡指数增加。与空白对照组相比,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。低、中剂量维生素B1、C联合干预后,睾丸细胞DNA损伤降低,凋亡细胞减少,光镜下可见损伤的组织明显改善。与0.2%染铅组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。但在高剂量组,维生素联合作用则促进了小鼠睾丸TGFβ1、Caspase-3的表达,使细胞凋亡指数增高,但彗星尾长和拖尾率则显著降低。结论维生素B1、C联合作用可拮抗铅的某些睾丸毒性作用。     

Visual Loss Due to Wernicke Syndrome Following Gastric Bypass

Purpose: To report a case of Wernicke encephalopathy after gastric bypass surgery resulting in vision loss, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia, all of which reversed with a single dose of IV thiamine. Methods: Observational case report. Results: A 34-year-old woman presented with decreased vision and intermittent diplopia after gastric bypass surgery. She was found to have bilateral limitation of horizontal gaze, decreased vision with bilateral central scotoma and mild disc edema OU. Her cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal. A presumptive diagnosis of Wernicke encephalopathy was made. The patient was admitted, and a single dose of IV thiamine reversed the ophthalmoplegia and vision loss within 24 hours. Conclusion: Wernicke encephalopathy should be considered in patients with vision loss after gastric bypass surgery. The classic triad of confusion, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia may not be present and, although uncommon, the findings of optic disc edema and vision loss should not deter the clinician from making the diagnosis. Replacement thiamine if given promptly may rapidly reverse the findings.     

Wernicke's Encephalopathy Presenting as Acute Psychosis after Gastric Bypass

Background and Objectives: Patients frequently present to the Emergency Department (ED) with psychiatric complaints. The differential diagnosis for acute psychosis is extensive, and determining a possible etiology requires a thorough history and physical. Small details can help the physician in differentiating organic disease from non-organic disease. Many times patients are thought to be “crazy” without a thorough history and physical being done. Case Report: In this case, the diagnosis hinged on the history of having gastric bypass surgery. A thorough physical examination was performed, and the patient had neurologic findings suggestive of severe thiamine deficiency. The patient's thiamine level was low. The patient was started on i.v. thiamine and slowly began to recover. Conclusion: Cerebral beriberi, more commonly known as Wernicke's encephalopathy, is a difficult diagnosis to make in the ED. A thorough neurologic examination is difficult to perform in the ED environment, but it is necessary when trying to determine the etiology of the patient's altered mental status. The number of patients with Wernicke's encephalopathy may increase with bariatric surgery becoming more common. This disease can present with a wide variety of findings, and the classic triad is not very common. With this in mind, the physician should have a low threshold for administering thiamine intravenously.     

Role of Dietary Protein and Thiamine Intakes on Cognitive Function in Healthy Older People: A Systematic Review

The effectiveness of nutritional interventions to prevent and maintain cognitive functioning in older adults has been gaining interest due to global population ageing. A systematic literature review was conducted to obtain and appraise relevant studies on the effects of dietary protein or thiamine on cognitive function in healthy older adults. Studies that reported on the use of nutritional supplementations and/or populations with significant cognitive impairment were excluded. Seventeen eligible studies were included. Evidence supporting an association between higher protein and/or thiamine intakes and better cognitive function is weak. There was no evidence to support the role of specific protein food sources, such as types of meat, on cognitive function. Some cross-sectional and case-control studies reported better cognition in those with higher dietary thiamine intakes, but the data remains inconclusive. Adequate protein and thiamine intake is more likely associated with achieving a good overall nutritional status which affects cognitive function rather than single nutrients. A lack of experimental studies in this area prevents the translation of these dietary messages for optimal cognitive functioning and delaying the decline in cognition with advancing age.     

Beyond drug-drug interactions: effects of transporter inhibition on endobiotics,nutrients and toxins

Introduction: Membrane transport proteins play a central role in regulating the disposition of endobiotics, dietary nutrients and environmental toxins. The inhibition of transporters by drugs has potential physiologic consequences. The full extent of the effect of drugs on the function of transporters is poorly understood because only a small subset of the hundreds of transporters expressed in humans – primarily those mediating the rate-determining step in the elimination of specific drugs – are assessed during clinical development.

Areas covered: We provide a comprehensive overview of literature reports implicating the inhibition of transporters as the mechanism for off-target effects of drugs.

Expert opinion: Transporter inhibition, the mechanism of action of many marketed drugs, appears to play an underappreciated role in a number of side effects including vitamin deficiency, edema, dyslipidemia, cholestasis and gout. Cell systems more broadly expressing transporter networks and methods like unbiased metabolomics should be incorporated into the screening paradigm to expand our understanding of the impact of drugs on the physiologic function of transporters and to allow for these effects to be taken into account in drug discovery and clinical practice.     

UHILIC-MS/MS法同时测定复方三维右旋泛酸钙糖浆中5种维生素的含量

目的 建立一种超高效亲水作用色谱串联三重四极杆质谱法（UHILIC-MS/MS）,同时测定复方三维右旋泛酸钙糖浆中维生素B₁、维生素B₂、维生素B₆、烟酰胺和泛酸钙的含量。方法 采用超高效液相色谱仪,Waters ACQUITY BEHHILIC Amide色谱柱（2.1 mm×100 mm,1.7 μm）,以90%乙腈（含0.5%甲酸）-10 mmol/L甲酸铵水（含0.5%甲酸）为流动相,进行梯度洗脱,流速0.30 ml/min;在电喷雾（ESI）正离子模式下,用多反应监测（MRM）模式进行含量测定。结果 在5 min内,样品中5种维生素分别在各自考察的浓度范围内呈良好的线性关系,相关系数（r）均大于0.998 4;整体加样回收率在93.27%~100.39%之间,RSD为1.41%~4.96%;10批样品中维生素B₁、维生素B₂、维生素B₆、烟酰胺、泛酸钙的含量测定结果分别为32.40~38.91、7.002~8.462、9.677~11.17、33.64~39.58、3.276~3.771 mg/250 g。结论 本研究建立的UHILIC-MS/MS方法可快速实现对复方三维右旋泛酸钙糖浆中5种维生素类成分定性鉴定或定量检测,为复方三维右旋泛酸钙糖浆的开发利用和质量评价提供了可靠的技术检测方法。